Family & Relationships

“As a rabbi and a convert, I appreciate this book deeply for its sensitivity to the complex feelings of those who are exploring paths to becoming Jewish, and for the deep love of Judaism it conveys. I will give it to every interfaith couple, and recommend that they give it to their parents. It is wonderful! “” –Rachel Cowan, co-author of Mixed Blessings In the same knowledgeable, reassuring, and respectful style that has made her one of the most admired writers of guides to Jewish practices and rituals, Anita Diamant provides advice and information that can transform the act of conversion into an extraordinary journey of self-discovery and spiritual growth. Married to a convert herself, Diamant anticipates all the questions, doubts, and concerns, provides a comprehensive explanation of the rules and rituals of conversion, and offers practical guidance toward creating a Jewish identity. Here you will learn how to choose a rabbi, a synagogue, a denomination, a Hebrew name; how to handle the difficulty of putting aside Christmas; what happens at the mikvah (the ritual bath) or at a hatafat dam brit (circumcision ritual for those already circumcised); how to find your footing in a new spiritual family that is not always well prepared to receive you; and how not to lose your bonds to your family of origin. Sensitive, sympathetic, and insightful, Choosing a Jewish Life provides everything necessary to make conversion a joyful and spiritually meaningful experience. From the Hardcover edition.”

Anita Diamant’s knowledge, sensitivity, and clarity have made her one of the most respected writers of guides to Jewish life. In Saying Kaddish , she shows how to make Judaism’s time-honored rituals into personal, meaningful sources of comfort. Diamant guides the reader through Jewish practices that attend the end of life, from the sickroom to the funeral to the week, month, and year that follow. There are chapters describing the traditional Jewish funeral and the customs of Shiva , the first week after death when mourners are comforted and cared for by community, friends, and family. She also explains the protected status of Jewish mourners, who are exempt from responsibilities of social, business, and religious life during Shloshim , the first thirty days. And she provides detailed instructions for the rituals of Yizkor and Yahrzeit, as well as chapters about caring for grieving children, mourning the death of a child, neonatal loss, suicide, and the death of non-Jewish loved ones. From the Trade Paperback edition.

Our kitchen is small, the appliances dated. We don’t have a fancy six-burner stove or double wall oven like some of our wealthier neighbors. But as I remove the second pizza from the oven, the kitchen feels perfect: neither too big nor too small, neither too old nor too new. The kind of kitchen where my brother can enter carrying both my son and my daughter in his arms. from Dinner with Dad A beautiful, intelligent wife, two bright children, a gorgeous home in a nice Connecticut suburb, an ample income as a successful lawyer: by all accounts, Cameron Stracher is living the American dream. Problem is, thanks to a crazybusy work schedule, he’s never home to enjoy it. Most nights Cameron grabs dinner on the run, eating on the late train home long after his wife and kids have finished their meal. So one day Cameron commits himself to a revolutionary experiment: For the next year, he’ll be home by six o’clock at least five days a week to sit down to a real family dinnerand he’ll even help cook that dinner himself. Instead of stuffing a taco into my mouth in the back of the train, I will saut chicken and peppers for my own fajitas. Instead of dining alone, I will dine with my family. Instead of Absent Dad, I will be Nourishing Dad. But as this daring adventure gets under way, it becomes clear that the road to culinary togetherness is no cakewalk. Six-year-old Lulu eats only plain pasta with salt and nine-year-old Simon clings immovably to hot dogs. What’s more, Cameron begins to feel that his normally sympathetic wife, Christine, is growing tired of having him underfoot at unexpected hours. Only the author’s faith in another American dreamfamily closeness at the dinner tablekeeps him moving, and as he shops, chops, and cooks, he ponders the high percentage of Americans who’d rather work than be with their families, who’d rather take conference calls than meet the school bus. Fired with love and humor, wit and heart, and peppered with engaging social and cultural history, Dinner with Dad is a four-star, five-course celebration of family life. Millions of overextended parents will relate to and relish Cameron’s journey as he discovers what truly matters most. Advance praise for Dinner with Dad : Dinner with Dad is for every spouse who’s ever crashed on the rocks of the suburban dream and for every parent who’s had his heart broken by a child’s turned-up nose. Stracher writes with humor and honesty about the pitfalls and triumphs of trying to have your family and eat with them, too. Julie Powell, author of Julie & Julia Busy fathers everywhere will immediately identify with this book, and hopefully will heed its message. Well done, Cameronsomeone needed to write this book. Now dads everywhere need to read it. Mike Greenberg, author of Why My Wife Thinks I’m an Idiot A warm-hearted, loving, and funny look at the way we live now. Can a dad get home for dinner, cook it, and live to tell the tale? Stracher’s story gives hope to

Strategic Interventions for People in Crisis, Trauma, and Disaster enables therapists to walk into difficult situations with a thorough understanding of interactional dynamics and a plan of action. With the stressful turbulence of our present culture, more and more clinicians are called upon to intervene in crisis situations. Violent interactions, once considered rare or beyond the province of the therapist, have become familiar events to many practitioners. This volume provides them with both the theoretical background and practical techniques to help people learn from crisis experiences and move toward change and growth. Of special interest are practical guidelines and specific intervention strategies for conducting psychotherapy with different types of violent persons and of victims. Treatment principles for each crisis situation are then illustrated in detailed case studies. As the authors demonstrate, with these troubled people a therapist must be ready to make quick decisions, draw upon all available resources from the family and community, and offer continuing support as traumas are worked through and new behavior patterns are learned. In addition, the authors discuss the legal and ethical responsibilities of the therapist.

The number of sexual abuse disclosures by children has been increasing at a steady rate. Therapists are faced with the dilemma of limited resources and training to help them best serve this vulnerable population. Choosing to Heal breaks new ground as the first resource to use Reality Therapy and Choice Therapy in focusing on the treatment of sexually abused children. Mental health professionals are provided with numerous techniques and strategies to utilize during the treatment process. Parents, caretakers, teachers and anyone helping children heal from sexual abuse can obtain an understanding of the process in simple and understandable language. Choosing to Heal is a must-have resource for anyone helping a child heal from sexual abuse.

African American Relationships, Marriages, and Families is a historically and culturally centered text designed for relationship, marriage and family educators and therapists who work with African American singles and couples. Complete with numerous exercises, the book helps singles and couples increase their self-awareness, partner awareness and respect, and appreciation for difference. It also helps foster effective communication and conflict resolution skills, showing readers how to develop and maintain healthy relationships, marriages, and families. No ground is left uncovered in Dixon’s thoughtful and considered analysis.

“It’s a great blessing when a new mom with postpartum depression (PPD) is fortunate enough to be diagnosed early by a knowledgeable medical practitioner or therapist. But without guidance, it isn’t always clear where the boundary between normal baby blues and PPD lies. As with any other illness, the quicker that PPD is identified and treated, the faster the woman will recover. Postpartum Depression For Dummies can help you begin the process of determining what’s going on with you and give you a better idea of where you fall so that you can get yourself into proper treatment right away. The book covers all aspects of PPD, from its history and its origins to its effects on women and their families to the wide variety of treatments available—including conventional Western medicine, psychological therapy, alternative medical treatments, and self-care measures. Postpartum Depression For Dummies reveals: Why some doctors may be hush-hush about PPD How to distinguish between pregnancy hormone changes, “”baby blues,”” and PPD The difficulties of getting a proper diagnosis The role and importance of a therapist The benefits of medication for depression Alternative treatments with a successful track record How to find the right balance of psychological, medical, and alternative treatment Ways you can help foster recovery The nutrition you need to care for yourself properly How to help your partner help you Postpartum Depression For Dummies also provides the additional resources you need—web sites, organizations, and further reading—to help avoid the unnecessary suffering caused by undiagnosed and untreated PPD and survive and thrive as a new mom.”

Your children’s good health is central to their happiness – and yours! For a parent, coping with a sick child is worrying and the amount of information you need to know can be overwhelming. But help is at hand with this practical, jargon free guide – packed full of information – providing advice on every aspect of your child’s health. Outlining all the basics from vaccinations to visiting your doctor, it also provides expert advice on keeping your child healthy and how to spot what is wrong if they do become poorly. Helpful to both first time parents and those with more than one little angel, explanations of key symptoms and typical illnesses, along with first aid advice, provide you with the ideal complete reference to your child’s health, from new-born to pre-teen.

Compiled from electrocardiographic data on more than 1,800 normal newborns, infants, children, and adolescents, this convenient reference gives you fast access to the limits of normality so that data from an individual patient can be quickly interpreted in terms of comparison to the general population. ECGs in the Child and Adolescent presents, by age: Heart Rate, P-QRS-T interval and duration Frontal plane P-QRS-T axis P-QRS-T amplitude Calculated values on RS amplitude and ventricular activation time Save time and effort by keeping this authoritative guide close at hand.